Smart Parenting

I was in Book Sale a few weeks ago hoping to find good picture books for storytelling sessions with Nicholas and Antoinette. I was treated to a wide variety of hardbound, second-hand books that blew me away with their colors, stories and prices. I gathered six big books for Php300 (around $8) and went on to check their piles of magazines still with plastic cover, unopened and sold at Php40 ($1) or less. I was never a magazine subscriber. I wait when there are back issues and I can buy them at Php40 instead of Php125. Scouring the racks of magazines in Book Sale, I found copies of Smart Parenting, Good Housekeeping and some fashion and entertainment magazines. Smart Parenting’s September 2012 issue had singer Regine Velasquez and son, Nate as models. I dismissed the thought of buying even if it was sold at Php35 because I am not a Regine fan. But I saw that the magazine comes with a copy of National Geographic Little Kids and that was all it took for me to look for four other back issues and buy them.

As with my other book hunts, I left the magazines in my reading nook – on top of boxes and boxes of books I have been slowly packing for its eventual move to my first house in Liloan (Cebu) – expecting to be forgotten and rediscovered after a year or two. But I was awake at midnight and just had the urge to browse the magazines. I pickes up the particular where Regine and Nate were models, tore the plastic covering and set aside the National Geographic bonus copy.

 

 

Inside my room, as the twins were asleep beside each other, I started flipping through the pages and found article after article of tips and what-nots for first-time Moms.

I wished I read this in September 2012 long before I got pregnant. Or I wish I found this copy while I was pregnant. Hands down, this is an issue that was practical in terms of guiding a first-time Mom what she needs to borrow or buy.

I cannot remember how many books and online articles I read to better prepare me for my first pregnancy and the coming of two babies. Yes, they did help me weed out the unnecessary from the essentials but this article could have just cut the chase, you know.

Of course, it is different when you experience it yourself but nothing like arming yourself with some knowledge on what to expect and what to do in case of what.

I am still not subscribing to the magazine. Ha! But now… I will make it a habit to check out the back issues and its sister publications.

So, when to go to Book Sale again?